| Navy | The Royal Dutch Navy |
| Type | Light cruiser |
| Class | Java |
| Pennant | 40 |
| Built by | Nederlandse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (Amsterdam, Holland) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 15 Jun 1916 |
| Launched | 19 Dec 1921 |
| Commissioned | 26 May 1926 |
| End service | 30 Apr 1944 |
| History | On the outbreak of the war between Holland and Germany on 10 May 1940, HrMs Sumatra was stationed in Flushing, she left for England the following day. The ship was given pennant number 40 by the British during the war. Laid up at Portsmouth, England 6 November 1942. Transferred to the Royal Navy on 30 April 1944. Expended as blockship during the Normandy landings for Gooseberry 5 in position 147 degrees of the Quistreham lightship, distance 4500 meters and sunk in 7,5 meters water. For HrMs Sumatra's full operational history see this website (offsite link). |
Commands listed for HNMS Sumatra (40)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | kapitein-luitenant ter zee (Cdr.) Coenraad Hendrik Brouwer, RNN | 1 Feb 1939 | 29 Jan 1941 |
| 2 | kapitein ter zee (Capt.) Henri Jan Bueninck, RNN | 29 Jan 1941 | 27 Jan 1942 |
| 3 | kapitein-luitenant ter zee (Cdr.) Johannes Jacobus Lukas Willinge, RNN | 27 Jan 1942 | 17 Feb 1943 |
| 4 | kapitein-luitenant ter zee (Cdr.) Izaac Willem Reijnierse, RNN | 17 Feb 1943 | 10 Mar 1944 |
| 5 | kapitein-luitenant ter zee (Cdr.) Heinrich Witte, RNN | 10 Mar 1944 | 30 Apr 1944 |
| 6 | Capt. (retired) George Ernest Sutcliff, RN | 18 Apr 1944 | 9 Jun 1944 |
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Notable events involving Sumatra include:
24 Aug 1940
HMS Dorsetshire (Capt. B.C.S. Martin, RN) departed St.Helena to make rendez-vous at sea with the troopship Orion (23371 GRT, built 1935) and her escort the Dutch light cruiser HrMs Sumatra (Capt. C.H. Brouwer, RNN). The next day, August 25th, around 170 hours (zone -1), HMS Dorsetshire took over the escort of the Orion toward Capetown while HrMs Sumatra proceeded independently to Lobito, Portugese Africa (now Angola) before she continued on to Capetown as well. (1)
18 Sep 1942
HMS Decoy (Lt.Cdr. G.I.M. Balfour, RN) and HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Rowell, RN) arrived at Pointe Noire.
They departed again later the same day for Freetown, via Lagos, escorting the Dutch light cruiser HrMs Sumatra (Cdr. J.L. Willinge, RNN). (2)
21 Sep 1942
HrMs Sumatra (Cdr. J.L. Willinge, RNN), HMS Decoy (Lt.Cdr. G.I.M. Balfour, RN) and HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Rowell, RN) arrived off Lagos. The destroyers then in turn entered Lagos to fuel before all three ships continued on towards Freetown escorting the troopship Highland Princess (14133 GRT, built 1930). (2)
28 Sep 1942
Around 2300Z/28, the light cruiser HrMs Sumatra (Cdr. J.L. Willinge, RNN), destroyer HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. H.W.S. Browning, OBE, RN) and the tanker Sinclair H-C (American, 7875 GRT, built 1942) departed Freetown.
Around 1500Z/29, the tanker parted company to proceed to Freetown independently.
HrMs Sumatra and HMAS Quiberon arrived at Bathurst around 1030Z/30. (3)
30 Sep 1942
Around 1700Z/30, the light cruiser HrMs Sumatra (Cdr. J.L. Willinge, RNN) and the destroyers HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. H.W.S. Browning, OBE, RN) and HMS Partridge (Lt.Cdr. W.A.F. Hawkins, DSC, OBE, RN) departed Bathurst for the U.K. via Gibraltar.
Around 0700Z/1, they joined the troopships Empress of Australia (21833 GRT, built 1914) and Orion (British, 23371 GRT, built 1935) escorted by the destroyers HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Rowell, RN) and HMS Antelope (Lt.Cdr. E.N. Sinclair, RN).
Around 1400Z/1, HMS Griffin and HMS Antelope parted company to join convoy CF 5.
Around 2250Z/2, the troopships parted company to proceed to the U.K. independently for the moment. HrMS Sumatra, HMAS Quiberon and HMS Partridge then set course for Gibraltar where they arrived around 1000A/5. (4)
6 Oct 1942
Around 1930A/6, the light cruiser HrMs Sumatra (Cdr. J.L. Willinge, RNN) and the destroyers HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. H.W.S. Browning, OBE, RN) and HMS Partridge (Lt.Cdr. W.A.F. Hawkins, DSC, OBE, RN) departed Gibraltar for the Clyde.
Around 0850A/10, in very heavy weather, HMS Partridge reported having lost a men overboard and she turned back to search. She only rejoined around 1700A/10 and reported having lost six crew overboard and that she had been able to recover three of them. The other three could not be found.
Around 2000A/10, the destroyers parted company with HrMs Sumatra in the North Channel and proceeded to the Greenock where they arrived around 0700A/11.
HrMs Sumatra arrived at Holyhead around 0900A/11.
(5)
Sources
- ADM 53/112038
- ADM 187/21 + File 2.12.03.6773 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
- File 2.12.03.6773 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands) + Report of proceedings of HMAS Quiberon for September 1942
- File 2.12.03.6773 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands) + Report of proceedings of HMAS Quiberon for September 1942 + Report of proceedings of HMAS Quiberon for October 1942
- File 2.12.03.6773 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands) + Report of proceedings of HMAS Quiberon for October 1942
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.